GL84 Heading through the countryside on their honeymoon, a young couple stranded at a desolate inn find a local's welcoming château hides a coven of vampire followers who he intends to add with her presence forcing him to fight them to regain her and stop the creatures.This here was a somewhat decent entry in the genre. The film's best part is the opening, which is classic as the funerary procession done in Latin through the foggy graveyard is quite impressive and soon turns over into the staking which is a gruesome twist that is nicely done, the blood flow from the coffin is all the better and makes the event seem all the more creepy and impressive. That it segues into a nice scene where a couple is attacked by a supernatural wind-gust while out in the woods, featuring all manner of howling winds and perfectly-timed-to-just-miss branches in their path allows for a grand opening that works well. There's tons of good stuff as well with how this one builds upon the mystery about the inhabitants of the castle and their secret group, as the events of their first encounter over dinner meeting everyone with just an air of strangeness to them before it starts in on the wonderfully well-done change-over of her being tricked into going with their intentions over him and aided nicely with the efforts of those around to further their ruse. That carries nicely from the rather nicely done costume party, which here comes across as something that is really interesting and fun, features some really great action and suspense into it that holds this up and the subsequent rescue provides plenty of fun and surprises, most notably the different attempts that it uses is something to enjoy. The last part that works here is the ending, as not only is the main attack using black magic and necromancy a novel take on the genre that's something to enjoy, but the vampire bat attack on the congregation is a lot of fun, especially as it's a long, drawn-out battle that has a lot of good stuff to it seeing the bats fly around the large, lavish castle feeding on the cult. It's really a lot of fun, and helps to make the film interesting, but it does have a few problems. The main one here is the lethargic and absolutely maddening pace this employs to get absolutely anywhere. The fact that the vampire cult is introduced at the very end, then gets rushed through to provide the climax is something just proves that there's some really huge faults with how this one is paced. It's not that there's an eternity that happens between something, but it's also the fact that it feels the need to do so with nary any form of excitement passed along through the event. That's the main fault in here with that, since it manages to make the events seem unimportant and it's just a really terrible feel to have from a film. As well, the set-up is a little clichéd, and this results in the film also giving off a really familiar feel that can ruin it by not having the best feeling when repeated viewing. The main thing, though, is the fact that this one is just super-slow and really dull.Today's Rating/PG: Violence.

Spikeopath Kiss of the Vampire (AKA: Kiss of Evil in a truncated TV version) is directed by Don Sharp and written by John Elder. it stars Clifford Evans, Noel Willman, Edward de Souza, Jennifer Daniel, Barry Warren, Brian Oulton and Jacquie Wallis. Out of Hammer Film Productions in Eastmancolour, cinematography is by Alan Hume and music by James Bernard.Honeymooners Gerald (de Souza) and Marianne Harcourt (Daniel) stop over in a remote Bavarian village and fall prey to a suspicious family headed by Dr. Ravna (Willman).Planned as a Dracula sequel by Hammer Films, Kiss of the Vampire eventually followed in the vein of Brides of Dracula by bringing vampires into a social situation without the famous Count as the figurehead. With no Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Terence Fisher or Freddie Francis involved, it does on the outside seem it should be a lesser Hammer Horror picture. Thankfully that isn't the case at all.There's some wooden acting, less than great effects work in the finale and a lack of blood for the gore hounds, but this is still a wonderful Hammer picture. Ripe with atmosphere, beaming with glorious Gothic set design and beautifully photographed, it's a film begging to be discovered by the vampire faithful.Essentially a reworking of Edward G. Ulmer's The Black Cat (1934), the narrative follows the familiar vampiric formula so beloved by horror film makers, especially the house of Hammer, which is no bad thing really since they do it so well. In fact it should be noted that the finale to this one is a departure from the norm and is rather exciting, if just a little abrupt in the context of plotting.A bevy of beauties adorn the frames while suave aristocrat type gentlemen glide around the Ravna abode, this is very much a film rich in that Hammer style. Ignore claims of it being slow, for this is considerate to setting up the characters, and ignore the butchered American TV version, for Kiss of the Vampire is a treat for like minded Hammerphiles. 7.5/10

ShadeGrenade Hammer Films were keen to repeat the success of 'Dracula' ( 1959 ), With Christopher Lee loathe to put on the plastic fangs again, it instead made pictures about other vampires. The superb 'Brides Of Dracula' ( 1960 ) had Peter Cushing's 'Van Helsing' at loggerheads with David Peel's 'Baron Meinster'. In 'The Kiss Of The Vampire' ( 1963 ), a young honeymooning couple - 'Gerald Harcourt' ( Edward De Souza ) and wife 'Marianne' ( Jennifer Daniel ) - are driving through Eastern Europe at the turn of the century when their car breaks down. Gerald leaves Marianne alone while he goes off to search for petrol, but she becomes frightened and runs after him. They wind up at an inn run by 'Bruno' ( Peter Madden ). Their arrival is observed by a man peering through a telescope. He is 'Dr.Ravna' ( Noel Willman ) and he invites the couple to dine at his castle. He is a polite and charming host, and has two grown-up children - 'Carl' ( Barry Warren ) and 'Sabena' ( Jacquie Wallis ). Ravna's hospitality, however, is a cover for a more sinister reason - he is head of a vampire cult, and has evil designs on Marianne...Written by John Elder ( Anthony Hinds ) and directed by Don Sharp ( who later made Hammer's 'Rasputin, The Mad Monk' ), 'Kiss' is one of Hammer's best horror pictures. The absence of Lee and Cushing is not too severe a handicap, thanks mainly to the superb performances of Willman and Clifford Evans as vampire slayer 'Professor Zimmer'. The latter is very different from the likes of 'Buffy' - he is elderly, drinks like a fish, and smokes a great deal. He has sworn to wipe out vampirism after his daughter was corrupted by Ravna. Echoing 'Brides Of Dracula', he gets to cure himself of vampirism by burning out the infection. You can see where Roman Polanski got many of the ideas he later sent up in 'Dance Of The Vampires' ( 1966 ), the fancy dress ball in particular. The erotic content is underplayed ( as you might expect in an early '60's picture ), but even so there's a strong charge to be had out of the sight of a nude Marianne being dressed by Ravna in white robes ( even if she is only in back shot ). Just a few years later, all this changed, and we got bare-breasted Ingrid Pitt sweating over Maddy Smith in 'The Vampire Lovers ( 1970 ).The climax in which Zimmer wipes out the Ravna cult by summoning up a swarm of bats is atmospheric and exciting. Ravna did not return for sequels - Lee relented about doing 'Dracula' again, and 'Dracula: Prince Of Darkness' premiered three years later.'Kiss' is strangely not out on PAL Region 2 ( I got my copy from America ), but it is a good one to have if you, like me, cherish Hammer Horror.

BloodTheTelepathicDog This is a fine horror film that is strictly by-the-numbers Hammer fare. The only thing new to the vampire genre this offers is the end scene when the vampires are eradicated in an unusual way--a way that would make Ed Wood proud.The film centers on newlyweds Edward de Souza and Jennifer Daniel who get lost and suffer car trouble in a remote location. The only people that seem to live in the area are the kindly old innkeeper (Peter Madden) and his wife and the eccentric, lavish, and quite uppity Dr. Ravna (Noel Willman) and his children Carl (Barry Warren) and Sabena (Jacquie Wallis). The Ravna's invite the newlyweds to their mansion but they have designs on the lovely Jennifer Daniel. They have no use for her husband however. After they attend a ball at the Ravna's mansion, Jennifer Daniel is abducted and de Souza must save her with the help of drunken professor Zimmer (Cliff Evans) who has a score to settle with the Ravnas.STORY: $$$ (The story is that old hat about a young couple out of place in a rustic, country setting. The wealthy Ravnas take an interest in the wife while the husband must save her. We also get the know-it-all character in Zimmer who does the Van Helsing routine. The only thing original about the script is the end--I won't ruin it for you).ACTING: $$$ (The acting is fine. Both Noel Willman and Barry Warren are quite good in their crotchety vampire roles. They each exude arrogance and don't bother to mask the fact that they fancy Jennifer Daniel in front of her husband. Jacquie Wallis looks good as Sabena but has little to do, and the same can be said about Isobel Black as the innkeeper's daughter the Ravnas abducted. Edward de Souza is merely adequate as the hero while Cliff Evans is effectively aloof and curmudgeonly as Zimmer. Jennifer Daniel, who possesses an uncanny sophistication, is quite good as the object of the vampire's desire).NUDITY: $ (Jennifer Daniel has a topless scene but since this was made in 1963--before Ingrid Pitt and Madeline Smith gave Hammer some high quality skin--her back is to the camera).